Morning Prayer – Sing a Gospel Song

A Prayerful Response to Psalm 19
“In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the Sun,
which is like a Bridegroom coming forth from His pavilion,
like a Champion rejoicing to run His course.”

As the Bridegroom Morning-star peeks above the horizon of a new dawn,
We hear the song of rising hope.
All of creation joins in tribute and exaltation.  So let us be counted in the throng.
Let us emerge from slumber into this new day with singing on our lips.
May Christ’s Gospel Song ring true from our hearts.
May our earthen frames, though aged and worn, course with the dance of New Life.
We are not afraid.  We are not alone.  We are not Despairing.
The Gospel is our redemptive song of Jubilee!
Rejoice!  Give Praise!
Out of His Chamber, the Bridegroom sings this blessed Morn, so let us sing along,
“We are Glad!  We are Loved!  We are Free!”

Valley of Vision Redux: Valley of Vision

Adapted from “Valley of Vision”, Valley of Vision – p. 1

Lord, High and Holy, meek and lowly,
You have brought me to the Valley of Vision,
Where I live in the depths that I might see You in the heights;
Where I am hemmed in by mountains of sin, I behold Your glory.

Let me learn by paradox…

• That the way down is the way up,
• That to be low is to be high,
• That the broken heart is the healed heart,
• That the contrite spirit is the rejoicing spirit,
• That the repenting soul is the victorious soul,
• That to have nothing is to possess everything,
• That to bear the Cross is to wear the Crown,
• That to give is to receive,
• That the Valley is the place of Vision,

Lord, in the daytime the stars can be seen from inside the deepest wells,
And so it is, the deeper the well I am in, the brighter Your stars shine;
So, let me find Your light in my darkness,

Let me find…

• Your life in my death,
• Your joy in my sorrow,
• Your grace in my sin,
• Your riches in my poverty,
• Your glory in my valley

May the scales that blind my eyes be destroyed in this valley of suffering,
so that this valley becomes…A Valley of Vision

Morning Prayer – Identifying with the suffering of others

Many of you are aware of my recent bout with kidney stones.  The stones emerged last week, the day before Easter, when I prayed that Christ would allow me to identify with Him in the suffering of his passion.  Eleven days later, on Monday night, I again went to bed in pain.  The week has been a blur; every day with intermittent fever and the enduring the grip of sometimes nagging, sometimes crippling pain.  Every night, shuffling off to bed, half asleep – half awake, while little knives stabbed into my lower back.  Every morning waking up at 4 am, an invisible zombie eating into my kidney.  Monday night was no exception.  Before going to bed, I thought to myself, “What would it be like to live with this pain the rest of my life – to know that every day would be a battle against physical misery?  There must be so many in the world who do.”

Valley of Vison – “Hold Fast Thy Mirror before My Soul”

Adapted from “Self Knowledge”, Valley of Vision – p. 69

Searcher of Hearts, hold Thy mirror before my soul…

You are so good to give me a glimpse of myself;
Revealing my Sin as my greatest evil,
Revealing Yourself as my greatest good;
As I gaze at my reflection,
I have cause to loathe myself and find no reason to seek self-honor,
For no one should desire to commend their own dunghill.

Valley of Vision – “Continual Repentance”

Adapted from “Continual Repentance”
The Valley of Vision p. 76 (my paraphrase)

O God of Grace,
You have counted my sin to my Substitute
You have counted His righteousness to me
You have Clothed me with a Bridegroom’s Robe
You have Decked me with the Jewels of Holiness.

• But in my Flesh – I am still in Rags
  • My best prayers, stained with sin;
  • My best tears, filled with impurity
  • My confessions of wrong, aggravated with pride
  • My receiving of the Spirit, subverted with selfishness

Afternoon Prayer – A prayer about being less stupid

A PRAYER ABOUT BEING LESS STUPID – by Scotty Smith

Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid. Proverbs 12:1
He who listens to a life-giving rebuke will be at home among the wise. Proverbs 15:31

Heavenly Father, first of all, I’m so grateful to be able to call you Father… Abba, Father, as I begin this day. There’s no greater privilege, there’s no safer refuge, there’s no better address than to call your heart my home.

Morning Prayer – February 28, 2008

On this Saturday Morning, I am sitting at the kitchen table in Raleigh. I am here with my family to celebrate the life of our sister in law – Lisa, who is battling breast cancer. She is the wife of Martha Jo’s brother – Bobby Austin, who is the Solo Pastor of a growing church in the Raleigh area. Lisa, only 39 years old, with two adopted children, has fighting this disease for almost two years now. The doctors have found lesions on her liver and a number of small growths on her lungs. At this point, her body has failed to respond to any of the drugs used to treat this type of cancer. She is now trying alternate drugs and we are praying together for a miracle. The The family has gathered in Raleigh to pray for Bobby and Lisa and celebrate their birthdays – both occurring this past week.

This morning, both Bobby and Lisa were struck with a violent stomach virus that has kept them from joining us.

Meanwhile, I believe in, I trust in, I cling to, I rest in, I hope in…the Sovereignty of God. I must believe that God’s hand is in all of this. I must believe that there is more than this life. I must accept that we are all here this weekend by God’s Grace. I must believe that Bobby and Lisa are exactly where Christ wants them to be. We are where He wants us to be. We are at His Loving Mercy. We are in His Grace Filled Grip.

A Morning Prayer – July 13, 2008

This morning I am preaching on Matthew 7:1-5…

“How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”

Lord Jesus. How can I preach this message without addressing the plank that is my own eye? I find in myself a dual desire that operates at almost the same time. On one hand, I try to ignore the plank. To say that I am not that bad. To pretend that I am not hungry, I am not thirsty, I am not poor, I am not angry, I am not evil. I compare myself to others – I am not as bad as him, I am not as hungry as her.

A Morning Prayer – June 30, 2008

Jesus. Help us to love you. How often we say – ‘we love you’ – with no thought to what that means. It is so easy to say those words. Yet, were it not for your love for me it would be ridiculous to make such a claim. If I cannot love my wife properly – if I cannot love my children, my friends, a stranger, or my enemy – then how should I think that I can love you? To love your perfection. To adore your holiness. To extol your beauty. To worship your sovereignty. I should not love these, but hate them. I should hate your perfection because your perfection brings light to all my failures, your holiness reveals my wretchedness, your beauty unveils my ugly, your sovereignty magnifies my impotence. Who would want such a friend? Who could feel at home before your throne? I cannot say, “I love you, Lord.” Except that you first love me. I have too much pride, arrogance, anger, and unforgiveness. I cannot say, “I love you” – lest you, by your mercy, move upon my wretched soul.